The Lord's Appointed Times

The Lord's Appointed Times

by Reverend Lonnie C. Crowe

God has appointed special celebrations for His people to worship Him.  When we come to Him to celebrate His special occasions, we draw closer to Him and learn from Him. The invitation has been extended in Leviticus 23:4 "These are the feasts (celebrations) of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times."

This passage in Leviticus continues with descriptions of the Lord's appointed times:  Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Tabernacles.  Many times we refer to these sacred times as Jewish holidays.  However, because each feast pictures some aspect of the ministry of Yeshua HaMashaich (Jesus, our Messiah), acknowledging them will enable Christians to understand more fully our relationship with our Redeemer. 

The spring feasts, Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits depict the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. 

Pentecost occurs during the grain harvest and represents the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on believers and the harvest of souls in Judea first, then in Samaria and to the ends of the earth.  (Acts 1:8)

The fall feasts, Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Tabernacles give us insight into the Second Coming of Jesus. 

Because the temple in Jerusalem no longer exists, the celebration of the Feast Days cannot be the same as in the days of the Bible.  Jewish people now celebrate the Feasts using traditions handed down in the Talmud.  Today, more and more Christians are remembering the Feasts.  Some celebrate with adaptations of Jewish traditions.  Some have designed their own celebrations.  Some simply remember the days in their hearts. 

Celebrating the Feast Days is not required, but a powerful blessing can come to us when we more fully understand what has been accomplished in our lives and in the Kingdom of Heaven because of the atoning, redemptive ministry of Jesus, our Messiah.

Whether our celebration is elaborate or simple, our remembrance should include thanksgiving, worship and joy.  Because we will soon be entering into the time of the Fall Feasts, I invite each of you to celebrate those days with me. 

The Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah, begins at sunset on September 15.  On September 12, I will post details about celebrating Rosh Hashanah and looking forward to the sounding of the Lord’s trumpet.

Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, are 10 days.  Jewish people refer to those days as "The Days of Awe".  It is a time of repentance for them as they look forward to commemorating atonement for sin.  Because Jesus has already paid the price for our atonement, on September 17, I will post suggestions for meditating on the atoning work of the Cross. 

The third Feast Day is Tabernacles, Sukkoth.  It is a seven day celebration ending with the Last Great Day of the Feast on the eighth day.  To facilitate our celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles, I will post on September 29 for the celebration of the feast and again on October 6 for the Last Great Day. 

I praise God for the technology that enables us to gather together in the Holy Spirit and celebrate the goodness of our King.